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INDI Library v2.0.6 is Released (02 Feb 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

how to disable guide star being downloaded and displayed

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After the last update to stable, the guide star once again displayed by default in both the guide module and the summary screen. Unecessary as we're using phd2. How can it be disabled?
Thanks
Last edit: 5 years 1 week ago by alacant.
5 years 1 week ago #36597

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So I would say it is definitely not unnecessary. I run my PHD2 on a raspberry pi where constantly viewing the screen of the pi over vnc would be an extra use of bandwidth. I want to be able to monitor the star profile image to make sure that guiding is proceeding well, but cannot run VNC.

Getting the star profile image from PHD2 is actually very nice because it is a very small data transfer being a small amount of text transferred in base64 compared to the entire external guide frame being transmitted over wifi. So this is not the same as the option "receive external guide frames" Also note that receiving external guide frames only works with INDI based cameras. If your camera is directly connected to PHD2 and not connected with INDI, then you could not receive the guide frames.

I actually spent a lot of time last year getting PHD2 to work well with KStars/Ekos and I spent a lot of time also getting the Star profile image PHD2 transmits to display in the guide module. My camera is connected directly to PHD2 and not to INDI, for speed reasons. So I was a bit dismayed when somebody tied the option for displaying the star profile image to the option for receiving external guide frames. I don't want to get external guide frames, they are very large. I do want the small star profile image so that I can monitor guiding. I don't want to use VNC constantly to monitor it.

A separate option could be added to disable the star profile image, but that option is not "receive external guide frames" because the star profile image is definitely not the guide frames. it would need to be a separate option.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq
5 years 1 week ago #36600

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Hi
Thanks for your reply and yes of course, we understand your use case.
It has just appeared in the stable upgrade. We already have more than adequate star profile information on screen via PHD2 and remotely via TeamViewer. It just seems one more thing ekos has to do and it adds clutter on screen. An option to disable it would be great.
Thanks again and clear skies

**EDIT: My camera, zwo120 is directly connected to PHD2 -not via indi- and I still receive the frames.
Last edit: 5 years 1 week ago by alacant.
5 years 1 week ago #36603

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The feature has been there for a year or so and was disabled for a while (by accident I presume). I find it reduces screen clutter as I don't have to keep PHD2 open at all basically, Ekos just handles it transparently and shows the relevant information.
5 years 1 week ago #36620

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Yes that is correct. I worked very hard last year to get it to do this. You are correct that it was disabled for awhile and that made me sad until it got restored because it is very important for monitoring images when you are using a raspberry pi headless so you can see what is going on and not have to open VNC.

My guide camera is not connected to INDI either. The goal is to be able to monitor the guide star without having to have PHD2 or VNC open with any camera, not just INDI cameras. So yes you should still be able to get a star profile image.

Again the star profile image is not an external guide frame. Loading external guide frames is bandwidth intensive, the images are really big. Loading the star profile image is not bandwidth intensive, the star profile image is something like 20 pixels across and not only that, it is transmitted in base64 as text so it is very small.
5 years 1 week ago #36624

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